Sunday, March 02, 2008

A priest-scholar on Antichrist....

There are many people today (and very many Catholics among them) who reject the Scriptural prophecy of a personal Antichrist. These people view the idea of a personal Antichrist as a legend of man's fantasy. But the truth regarding the Man of Sin comes to us from God revealing it to His prophets, His Apostles, and to His Church throughout salvation history.

Fr. Paschal Huchede, in his excellent work entitled "History of Antichrist," explains:

" Some have thought that the word Antichrist is only a generic term by which all the enemies of Christ are designated, a word comprising in its signification all heretics, schismatics, apostates, infidels - in a word, all the impious or antichristian empire. St. John seems to hold this opinion when he says, "Even now there are become many Antchrists. He who denieth that Jesus is the Christ, this is Antichrist." (1 In. 2:18-22). But that this supposition is erroneous is proved by the context of the same epistle. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are many Antichrists."

Let it be remembered that in the Greek or original text, the article 'O is employed in connection with Antichrist in the first instance, and not in the second, and the Greek article serves to determine persons and things; whence, it follows that St. John did not mean that all the enemies of Jesus Christ were to be comprised in one generic term expressed by the word ."Antichrist". On the contrary, he very succinctly, but clearly, distinguishes Antichrist personally from all the other adversaries of Christ.

Moreover, the Sacred Scriptures speak of Antichrist in various places as being a particular person or individual. "The Man of Sin," "Son of Perdition," terms such as these cannot mean a collective body since the individual is specifically pointed out, while it is easy to explain why St. John employs the same word to distinguish the enemies and adversaries of Christ. The similitude of tendencies and actions suffices to justify the identity of names. The priests, prophets, and kings of the old law were called "Christs". This, however, did not hinder the Jews from believing in the coming of Christ, the Anointed par excellence, source of all sacerdotal, prophetic, and royal unction. And is not the same thing true of Antichrist and the Antichrists, that is, of the enemies of Christ? But there shall come an Antichrist of whom all the others are only the precursors. And this Man of Sin will combine in himself all the malice collectively found in all the others. All the Fathers and theologians unanimously concur in this belief as to Antichrist's individuality. And consequently, his personal existence and future event must be considered as an object of divine faith, such as stated by Suarez and Bellarmine." (History of Antichrist, pp. 11-12, Tan Books).

"Antichrist will pervert some in his day by exterior persuasion...He is the head of all the wicked because in him wickedness is perfect...As in Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead, so in Antichrist the fullness of all wickedness. Not indeed in the sense that his humanity is to be assumed by the devil into unity of person...but that the devil by suggestion infuses his wickedness more copiously into him than into all others. In this way all the wicked that have gone before are signs of Antichrist." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa III, 8:8).

Are we prepared to argue with the Word of God about the reality of a personal Antichrist? Are we wiser than the Fathers and Doctors of the Church? More enlightened than the Angelic Doctor?

10 comments:

Stewart
said...

I have been noticing lately how so many people: priests, religious and laity, seem so anxious to convince others that there will be no real, personal Antichrist. I have to wonder if this isn't a sign of his drawing nearer? After all, he will want to hide his true identity.

You are right. The Antichrist will be an individual. Many experts have indicated that he will arise from the world of politics. One seer was told to look to Central Europe. Eileen George has said that she was shown the Antichrist. And she and her ministry (Meet the Father) are Church-approved. She has many charismatic gifts. Mrs. George will be in Princeton, Massachusetts soon for a special retreat.

Venerable Mary of Agreda once prophesied: "When the world will be drowned in terrible vices, Satan and all his devils will be let loose so that they may pave the way for the godless Antichrist to attain world dominion and final persecution." And she died in 1665. Those who believe that Antiochus - or someone else - was Antichrist, are deceiving themselves. He is clearly yet to come according to the Saints. Thus far, not one of his precursors (all antichrists), have succeeded in doing away with the Mass. Antichrist will for a short time.

Elizabeth,I do not believe that Eileen George nor her Meet the Father Ministry has been approved by the Church. What is your evidence, that she has a priest promoting her? It all sounds highly suspect. Have a look here:

Interesting link. I'm not a follower of Eileen George myself (I really don't know all that much about her). However, I believe [could be mistaken] that her apostolate has Church approval. Recent editions of the CFP [Catholic Free Press - official newspaper for the Worcester Diocese] have featured advertisements for an upcoming event with Ms. George. It doesn't seem likely that Bishop McManus would permit Ms. George to operate freely within his Diocese without Church approval. Nor does it seem likely that he would permit advertisements for her events in the Diocesan newspaper without the same.

If there is anyone out there with more information on Eileen George and her apostolate, please feel free to share this information with this forum.

With regard to the subject of Antichrist, we have the record of many Saints who speak of him as an individual who is yet to come. This is indisputable. The Catechism [Nos. 675-677] also speaks of the deception of Antichrist as a future event.

Fr. Pelletier once introduced Eileen at St. John's Church in Worcester by saying, "...I'd like you to know that she has had a preaching ministry for a long time. She has beautiful gifts from the Lord, three of her remarkable gifts are her inspired teaching, her prophetic ministry - she has been giving beautiful prophecies to our prayer group - and the word of knowledge, which is a revelation from the Lord of healings that are taking place.."

Is Eileen George a fraud? Many Church authorities don't believe so. Why is her accuser posting a comment against her anonymously?

Thank you for that Elizabeth. I went to the latest edition of The Catholic Free Press (February 29, 2008 edition) and at the bottom of page 6 is that advertisement for a "Teaching and healing Service" to be held at the Prince of Peace Church in Princeton, Massachusetts on the following dates: March 4th, 11th, and 18th at 7:00 PM.

I really and firmly believe that we are in the latter days just preceding Antichrist. Consider the following...

The Prophecy of St. Nilus

St. Nilus was one of the many disciples of St. John Chrysostom (347-407). He was an officer at the Court of Constantinople, married, with two sons, and later becamne a priest. His works, including a multitude of letters, consist of denunciations of heresy, paganism, abuses of discipline and crimes, of rules and principles of asceticism. St. Nilus died around the year 430 A.D.; his feast day is 12 November.

The Prophecy

"After the year 1900, toward the middle of the 20th century, the people of that time will become unrecognizable. When the time for the Advent of the Antichrist approaches, people's minds will grow cloudy from carnal passions, and dishonor and lawlessness will grow stronger. Then the world will become unrecognizable. People's appearances will change, and it will be impossible to distinguish men from women due to their shamelessness in dress and style of hair. These people will be cruel and will be like wild animals because of the temptations of the Antichrist. There will be no respect for parents and elders, love will disappear, and Christian pastors, bishops, and priests will become vain men, completely failing to distinguish the right-hand way from the left. At that time the morals and traditions of Christians and of the Church will change. People will abandon modesty, and dissipation will reign. Falsehood and greed will attain great proportions, and woe to those who pile up treasures. Lust, adultery, homosexuality, secret deeds and murder will rule in society. At that future time, due to the power of such great crimes and licentiousness, people will be deprived of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which they received in Holy Baptism and equally of remorse.

The Churches of God will be deprived of God-fearing and pious pastors, and woe to the Christians remaining in the world at that time; they will completely lose their faith because they will lack the opportunity of seeing the light of knowledge from anyone at all. Then they will separate themselves out of the world in holy refuges in search of lightening their spiritual sufferings, but everywhere they will meet obstacles and constraints. And all this will result from the fact that the Antichrist wants to be Lord over everything and become the ruler of the whole universe, and he will produce miracles and fantastic signs. He will also give depraved wisdom to an unhappy man so that he will discover a way by which one man can carry on a conversation with another from one end of the earth to the other. At that time men will also fly through the air like birds and descend to the bottom of the sea like fish. And when they have achieved all this, these unhappy people will spend their lives in comfort without knowing, poor souls, that it is deceit of the Antichrist. And, the impious one! -- he will so complete science with vanity that it will go off the right path and lead people to lose faith in the existence of God in three hypostases.

Then the All-good God will see the downfall of the human race and will shorten the days for the sake of those few who are being saved, because the enemy wants to lead even the chosen into temptation, if that is possible... then the sword of chastisement will suddenly appear and kill the perverter and his servants."

How does one explain this prophecy if it is not from God? The prophecy is stunningly accurate.

I don't believe we can just dismiss this prophecy - and the countless others like it - just because we are not psychologically or spiritually prepared for the arrival of the Son of Perdition.

I had always heard that Eileen George was authentic and Church approved. There is now (so it seems) an attempt to discredit her and her ministry. There is a group which has been trying to discredit the Marian Movement of Priests as well. It would seem that anyone or any group which tries to warn people about Antichrist will come under attack and have their credibility questioned. I wonder why that is?

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About Me

Born in Bitburg, Germany,
Paul Melanson is a Catholic lay-philosopher and apologist whose work has appeared in many publications and websites including The Union Leader, The Wanderer, Seattle Catholic, Newsblaze, Helium, and Amazines. He has been interviewed by The National Catholic Register, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the television newsmagazine Chronicle.